The present invention relates generally to cots, and more particularly to an improved design for a cot assembly. The invention further relates to cots having various advantageous features, including a continuous bedding surface without gaps, a tensioning means for maintaining the bedding material in a taut condition, and the absence of exposed fasteners and the like.
Cots provide a temporary sleeping surface positioned above the ground or floor. Preferably, the cot is easily moved and transported and/or stored for later use. Cots find a wide variety of uses in many different activities for different ages and sizes of people. In one use, cots are used for camping or other outdoor sleeping settings to avoid contact with the ground. In another use, cots are used indoors by children or preschoolers when it is desired to provide a comfortable sleeping surface that is raised above the floor. Cots are more advantageous than mats or other devices that lie directly on the floor or ground for many reasons. For example, they provide a more comfortable sleeping surface, allow air flow between the floor or ground and the sleeping surface, provide a sleeping surface for a person which is not in contact with the sleeping surface of another person, and do not expose the sleeping person to filth and/or pests which may be present on the floor or ground.
One problem associated with cots is the fact that, when assembled, they require more storage space and can be more cumbersome than mats or sleeping bags. In order to address this problem, various improvements have been made in the design of cots. U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,649 to Kelly provides a nestable cot with a frame that allows a plurality of cots to be nestably stacked one on top of another. Each cot includes four corner connectors, each comer connector configured to receive a pedestal from a corresponding one of the comer connectors stacked thereupon. Thus, the stacked cots occupy a space that has a total height that is less than the sum of the individual heights of each cot, and are more easily stored and handled.
While the ""649 patent is a step in the right direction in improving the design of cots, there remains room for additional improvements. One problem with prior art cots is related to the sleeping surface of the cots. Cots typically have a frame for supporting bedding material or fabric that extends between members of the frame. One of the problems with these prior art cots is that gaps are formed between the bedding material and the frame, and these gaps may pose a safety hazard, particularly for children. The potential for injury exists if a child inserts a hand, foot, head or other body part through the gap, where it may become stuck or may cause the child to trip and fall. Also, the cot is more susceptible to being damaged. Cots having such gaps, particularly at the corners, have been prevalent in the prior art and means have not been provided for ensuring against such gaps.
Another problem with prior art cots is related to maintaining the taut condition of the bedding material stretching between members of the frame. Since the sleeping surface is positioned above the floor or ground, when a child or person lies on the cot, the weight on the bedding material at the middle of the cot has the tendency to cause the bedding material to loosen and sag between the members of the frame. This problem worsens over time as the cot is repeatedly subjected to loading. There is a need for a cot that maintains the bedding material in a taut condition, yet also provides for simple and efficient correction of sagging bedding material. It is also desirable that any adjustment mechanism and the associated components require minimum use of tools and/or dismantling. Further, it is preferable that the mechanism is not exposed to the user and does not have any parts which may be encountered or removed by the user, particularly children.
While there have been various approaches to improving the design and construction of nestable cots, the need for improvement still remains. There is needed an improved cot that addresses the problems in the prior art in a reliable, safe, and efficient manner. The present invention satisfies these needs, among others.
The present invention provides a cot assembly that includes a frame and bedding material extending between members of the frame. The cot assembly is free of any gaps between the bedding material and the frame, thereby protecting against injury which could otherwise result from the presence of such gaps. The cot assembly further includes the combination of a gap-free bedding surface with a means for tensioning the bedding material to maintain it in a desired taut condition. These unique features distinguish the present invention from the prior art and provide greater usable area within the perimeter, increased safety and utility, and other advantages in the use of the cot.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is a cot assembly that includes a frame defining an interior area and an exterior area. The frame has a number of elongated rods with the ends of the rods connected by a number of corner connectors to form a polygonal shape. A pedestal extends downwardly from each corner connector to engage the floor or other supporting surface. The bedding material extends fully to the perimeter defined by the frame in order to avoid undesirable gaps between the bedding surface and the cot frame.
In one embodiment, for example, each corner connector includes an inwardly projecting portion extending into the interior area of the frame. Bedding material is connected with and extends between the rods in the interior area of the frame. The bedding material extends at least to the inwardly projecting portions such that no openings are formed in the interior area between the bedding material and the frame. In a preferred form, each of the comer connectors includes top and bottom flanges extending into the interior area of the frame and defining a slot therebetween for receiving the bedding material.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a cot assembly is provided which includes a frame and bedding material extending gap-free about the frame. Means are provided for positioning and maintaining the bedding material in a taut condition. In one embodiment, for example, at least one of the rods is rotatable with respect to the cot frame and cooperates with a means for holding the rod in a selected rotational position. In a preferred form, the holding means comprises a ratchet mechanism that permits rotation of the rod in a first direction which tightens the bedding material attached to the rod. The holding means prohibits rotation of the rod in the opposition rotational direction in order to maintain the bedding material in the taut condition.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cot assembly which is simple in construction and which does not present fasteners or the like which may be encountered by or removed by the user, particularly children.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cot assembly which includes a frame with a supported bedding material that extends fully within the frame to avoid gaps between the bedding material and frame, thereby preventing the potential for a person by having a part of the body become engaged or trapped within such a gap.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a cot assembly which includes a gap-free bedding surface with the supporting frame and which further includes means for maintaining the bedding material in a taut condition.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.